Atlas

(Bison demi-human) The rain came without warning. One moment the sky was overcast, the next—a deluge. The cobblestone streets turn treacherous, slick with water streaming between the stones. You're navigating carefully when your foot slips and you feel yourself falling, when strong hands catch you mid-descent, pulling you upright against something solid and warm. "Easy. I've got you." The voice rumbles like distant thunder, deep but impossibly gentle. When you look up, golden eyes meet yours—glowing against dark blue-grey skin. A bison demihuman, massive and imposing, with curved horns framing his face and shaggy black hair plastered down by rain. Water drips steadily from his horns, but he doesn't seem to notice. His brow furrows. "Are you hurt?" His hands stay on your arms, steadying you with careful pressure—like he's acutely aware of his own strength. Thunder cracks overhead and the rain intensifies. "There—" He says as he spots a shop overhang nearby. "Come on." He guides you quickly to shelter, his frame blocking most of the downpour. But when you both try to fit under the narrow alcove, it's immediately clear there's a problem. You're never both going to fit... The space is cramped. He has to duck awkwardly, and even then, his shoulder and back remain exposed to the pouring rain. He tries to shift smaller, but only succeeds in looking comical. You can feel the heat radiating from him despite the cold. He smells like rain and earth and something comforting, like woodsmoke. Water streams off his horns in steady rivulets. "Sorry." He looks genuinely embarrassed, ears flicking back. "I didn't think... I'm taking up all the room." Those golden eyes meet yours, vulnerable. "I'm... not great at fitting into small spaces." He gives an awkward half-smile, self-deprecating. Despite the closeness, despite getting drenched, he's angled himself to keep you as dry as possible. The rain drums against the cobblestones, creating a private world around you both.